The history of modern infectious disease control in Korea could be divided into 4 era by its characteristics; the Opening and Korean Empire era (1896-1910), Japanese Colonial Rule and US military government era (1910-1948), Korean government era before 2000 (1948-2000) and After 2000 (2000-present). In the Opening and Korean Empire era, the first form of communicable disease prevention act was issued in 1899, including the first 6 notifiable communicable diseases in Korea; cholera, smallpox, dysentery, diphtheria and epidemic typus. Before establishment of administrative department for infectious disease, Japanese Colonial Empire took the police power away and set the colonial sanitary police system in 1907. During the Japanese Colonial Rule, the sanitary police system was forcefully active not only to control the epidemics but also fortify the colonial governmentalism. (The rest omitted)